Il Buco

Sorrento's iconic fine dining restaurant  

Steamed lobster on cauliflower cream and saffron chips

When I was running my research on finding where to eat in Sorrento, pretty much every website I came across recommended Il Buco. The 1 Michelin starred restaurant is overseen by Peppe Aversa for over 25 years and is somewhat one of the most iconic restaurants in Sorrento, with its modern local Italian cuisine. The restaurant is located in the heart of the city center within a former church, stretching 3 levels. There are about 20 dishes from its a la carte menu, or you can go for either its fish or land tasting menu, which are smaller dishes taken from its a la carte. For my visit, I opted for the fish tasting menu.

Seared octopus with raw and cooked escarole mayonnaise with wasabi

Tagliolino with lobster, lime and dill, dried tomato crumble

Linguina with lemon marinated rockfish, bottarga and dried tomatoes

The steamed lobster dish got us off to a great start, the lobster was cooked perfectly, and the cauliflower cream's nuttiness worked well with the sweetness of the lobster. The tagliarini was next level, it was served with lobster, with a refreshing garnish of lime and dill. It was a light dish yet packed with plenty of umami flavour, extremely flavorsome. The main course of seabass was perhaps the weakest dish, it was pretty average taste-wise, and the carrot sauce kind of overpowered everything else. The tiramisu with mascarpone foam uplifted my meal back to the top, the bittersweet balance was perfect, as was the soft creamy texture, and not overly rich, it was perhaps the best tiramisu I have encountered.

Sea bass with a variation of carrots, potato cube and dill oil

tiramisu with mascarpone foam composed of apple and coffee

Il Buco was a fabulous experience overall, while the setting felt very formal, the service was not and no dress code was required. The presentation wasn't anything fancy or over the top either, it was some well-cooked food put together in a harmonious manner, what you see is what you get. 

Food 4/5

What I paid: 
130 Euro per person with wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
110 Euro

2ª Rampa Marina Piccola, Piazza Sant'Antonino, 5, 80067 Sorrento NA, Italy

https://www.ilbucoristorante.it/?lang=en